He said: “European law, in my view, has already seriously undermined UK’s combat effectiveness as a result of the intrusion of European law into national law, and today, our service men and women are in danger of becoming no more than civilians in uniform.”

He added: “It is something of an insult to our European partners, in particular France and Germany, to imply that UK membership of the European Union is necessary to secure future peace in Europe.”

The senior figures also include two of the heroes from the Falklands conflict.

Major General Nick Vaux, who was in charge of 42 Commando in the Falklands War, said: “Inexorable political integration is a daunting enough prospect but to commit our armed forces into a European Army would be utterly reckless and the surrender of our national security.”

Major General Malcolm Hunt , who was commander 40 Commando in the Falklands,: added: “If the EU was up for a job interview involving foreign

policy and defence, they wouldn’t get the job, because their track record when faced with security crises such as the Balkans between 1991 and 2013, and the present mass immigration cataclysm shows that the EU is not fit for purpose.”

Other senior figures speaking out at the Veterans for Britain event today are Major General Julian Thompson, Lieutenant General Jonathon Riley, Major General Malcolm Hunt, Rear Admiral Conrad Jenkin, Rear Admiral Richard Heaslip and Commodore Mike Clapp.